


Confronting the Past

by Zebrablanket



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-07
Updated: 2018-12-07
Packaged: 2019-09-13 08:28:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16889097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zebrablanket/pseuds/Zebrablanket
Summary: Traveling to the Azim Steppe with her companions forces Jacky to confront her past directly.





	Confronting the Past

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote "Remembering the Past" first, so while it's not required to read before this to understand, it might give some insight since I wrote them shortly after each other.

“Well. This is great” Jacky muttered under her breath. Mere moments after emerging from Bardam’s Mettle they’d been surrounded by the last people she wanted to see - the Orinor. She glanced at her griffin, Mercury, and the yol she’d just somehow tamed. Either would be incredibly easy to just fly off with right now. She’d only met Mercury back in Ala Mhigo a few weeks ago, but she knew he could take her back to Eorzea if she wanted. That was why she’d brought him with her, much to the frustration of everyone else. Jacky had refused to head to the Far East without an easy way out.  
Hien had agreed for everyone to head to the Dawn Throne. Everyone looked apprehensive, but Jacky look outright ready to kill someone. She had warned her friends when they first headed to Reunion that she had a history here, and they knew to be wary. Even now, Jacky could see they’d let her fall to the middle of the group so the soldiers couldn’t get a good look. She double checked that her hat and mask were sitting properly. In the Dawn Throne itself they might not work for very long, but she meant to try.  
The Orinor were just as she remembered. Still stuck up snobs who acted all high and mighty. Jacky honestly didn’t hear a word Magnai said. She’d heard the same words too many times as a child and they only made her see red. It was when Magnai declared the group had to complete tasks as ‘tribute’ that her hand flew to her weapon. Alessa was standing next to her however, and moved to stop her. The two silently wrestled over the gun for a moment, but Alessa won and shoved it behind her own back, keeping it out of sight. It would not do for Magnai to notice one of the group trying to shoot him. Jacky couldn’t move to take it back without drawing attention to herself so she stood there defiantly, her hands balling into fists. While the others listened to the conversation she was calculating was else she could use as a weapon. Her tail ended in a point, it could possibly stab someone with enough force. Her horns were also sharp, but pointed backwards and would only work if someone was behind her. She also had her summoner grimoire in her bag if she could reach it. Before she could finish figuring out how to fight with these idiots, they were allowed to leave. Jacky didn’t stick around to be given a task, she grabbed her weapon from Alessa and stormed out. Her blood boiled just from listening to that guy. The people out here hadn’t changed, despite all the years that had passed. Magnai was a different leader than the one she’d blown up at, but he behaved pretty much the same way.   
Mercury napped near the edge of the Dawn Throne, and Jacky sat down next to him to calm herself down. She knew Alessa had been right to take her weapon, they couldn’t afford to pick a fight with potential allies, but Jacky wasn’t happy about being here. Nobody tried to find her; it seemed they knew she needed a moment. She ranted to the griffin in a whisper for about twenty minutes before collecting herself. Jacky stood up with a sigh, her head clearer now. She started to look for her friends, but her feet had a mind of their own. Mercury stood up and followed her as she walked off, probably concerned for her well being. She soon looked up to find herself in front of her childhood home.  
“How did I even get here” she muttered, to which Mercury gave a quiet squawk.   
Jacky had a feeling she shouldn’t be here. She’d never even said goodbye to her parents when she left. She’d been rushing to make sure she wasn’t arrested for the insults she’d thrown right at the leader. A small part of her couldn’t help but cling to a hope that the people who raised her might understand her, and still care even a little. In her heart she knew this to be false. Maybe it was for the better she didn’t find out. Jacky turned to walk away, but she found a woman standing just down the path looking shocked. It was her mother. Jacky froze, unsure of how to react. Mercury tensed next to her, sensing her apprehension.  
“No way” Jacky’s mother muttered. For a moment it seemed like she wouldn’t hate her child. Then her tone darkened.  
“What are you doing here?” she asked, venom in her voice.  
Jacky was a different person than she’d been when they knew her. She didn’t take nonsense anymore.  
“I’m helping some friends, though I don’t see why it’s such a problem” Jacky replied, a hand on her weapon. She struggled to keep her voice calm.  
“You shouldn’t be here. You forsook your own kin years ago, the Sun would never welcome you here now” her mother replied.   
“Well if it wasn’t obvious I don’t really care what this ‘Sun’ thinks. Living up here on this giant bowl talking nonsense doesn’t make you better than everyone else” Jacky growled.   
She heard footsteps behind her then and whirled around. Her gun pointed forward from pure instinct, she found herself face to face with her father. He looked equally disgraced to see her, and held an axe in his hands.   
“I suggest you leave the Steppe once more” he threatened, stepping forward.  
They were exactly the same as before. Entitled because of the tribe they were in. No matter how terrible a crime they could commit, they’d always act that way.  
Jacky stood there, the gun pointed forward, a finger on the flamethrower switch. It was tempting. To burn down the house behind her father, to destroy it all. Her vision flashed red and she almost did it. Almost. Instead she took a breath, and put her weapon away.  
“I’m a terrible person who’s done terrible things. I can kill without regret, destroy everything around me without shedding a tear. But at least I know I’m a better person than either of you” Jacky growled. She turned and walked off to find her friends, Mercury following behind her.


End file.
